What Are Friends For
by DepressingGreenie
Summary: Professor Stark has a crush on the University's new Professor. [Stony/Steve x Tony] #College/University AU, #Teachers AU, #Mutual Pining, #Tooth Rotting Fluff, #Attempt at Humour, #Idiots in Love, #Artist Steve Rogers, #Cap-IM Holiday Exchange, (Community Gift for the '2019 Cap-Iron Man Holiday Exchange')


Tony sighs into his coffee, beside him Bruce laughs knowingly. He gives the man a glare. "I don't want to hear it, no"

"I didn't say anything, Tony" Bruce says, grinning from ear to ear.

"You didn't need too. You're thinking it so loud it may as well be telepathy." He grumbles.

Bruce laughs harder beside him. The man grabs hold of his desk as if he needs to ground himself or he will laugh himself out of existence.

"It's not that bad" he says. "It wasn't that bad" He can feel himself being worked up.

"Tony," his friend laughs. "The man wasn't even in the room and you-"

He turns away in a huff. "Shut it, Bruce".

"Tony!" the man is wheezing. He doesn't think has ever seen the physicist laugh this hard before. "Tony! You just gushed to one of your students about Rogers" His heart jumps at the mention of the new Professor. "They barely mentioned him."

"It was a little more than that" he grumbles.

"You asked the student if they were enjoying their other classes. They said 'Oh, yeah. History with Professor Rogers is cool. Didn't expect it to be so fun'. Then you went on a Shakespeare length monologue on how 'fun and cool' the guy is'. It was beautiful. Really."

"He drew a picture of Tesla on the blackboard, Bruce!" he shouts. "It was a work of majesty"

The man is all but doubled over his desk laughing.

"Pleb." He scoffs, returning to his coffee.

Tony looks out of the office window to see Steve walking up the hall. As soon as Steve spots him the man gives him a huge grin.

Bruce had stopped laughing. "He's coming over."

"I am so very aware, Bruce, thank you" he grumbles. He tries to nonchalantly clean up his desk somewhat.

"Ask him out" his friend says.

"WHAT! No. I can't" Tony says.

"Yes, you can." He says. "It's easy"

"No, it's not"

"One of your 23 Degrees got to be good for something"

"NOT THIS!"

Steve knocks on the door, smiling brightly.

"It's enter" he calls. Quickly realising what he said, he adds "-able". Which really doesn't make things any better. Beside him Bruce lets out a strangled squeak, desperately chocking back his laugh. Tony sends him a withering glare.

Steve laughs, "Well, you're the engineer. I trust your opinion." All of his insides go all hot, gooey and absolutely useless at that.

"Hi" he says.

"Hi" Steve returns.

Bruce looks between them as the silence begins to drag on. Tony can't say anything. Things are slowly becoming awkward, and he doesn't want to add to it by accidentally talks over Steve if he says something.

Bruce clears his throat beside him. "I think I will take this moment to go see the Directors." He says, moving to get up. "You two catch up"

No. No no no. Tony wants to beg him to stay, to not go and leave him here to mess things up with Steve.

Out of the corner of his eye he sees Bruce's foot catch the desk as he moves to leave, something that they never had happen before. The desk jerks and Tony's coffee topples over. Everyone starts moving to mitigate the spill.

"Oh no!" Bruce says, already moving to get the paper towels. "Sorry, Tony. My bad. I'm so clumsy today. I don't know what came over me"

Tony watches him, completely befuddled. What was he doing?

Bruce shews Tony out of the way and he complies.

"Look, I made the mess, so I'll clean it up." He says. "Why don't you go down to the cafeteria to get yourself another coffee?"

"I… didn't get the coffee from the cafeteria. The coffee there is terrible." Tony knows that Bruce knows this.

"Wonderful. Then why don't you get your coffee from your café. Maybe take Steve with you" the man says as he wipes up the coffee from his desk.

Before Tony could say anything, Steve interjects, his face bright red. "I'd like that".

"Yeah? Okay" Tony says, his stomach tingling. "Let's go then" he reaches to get his keys.

He and Steve walk out together to get coffee. He looks back at Bruce who gives him a thumbs up and a wink.

* * *

_**The End**_

Notes: For the Cap-Iron Man Holiday Exchange 2019.  
Prompt: Science and Engineering professor Tony Stark likes the new History professor, Steve Rogers (AU Canon)


End file.
